The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-12-07
GENERAL BEN HARRISON ON THE
PENSION QUESTION.


1t should be always remembered that
what little public pap has fallen to the lot
of General Ben Harrison has been secured
by fraud, and only when fraud triumphed
has General Ben been decorated with Off
cial robes and consequence. Such being the
case, 1t is entirely natural that General Ben
Harrison should exhibit on all occasions
that he has been contaminated morally.
He has been the associate of such in
describable scoundrels as Dorsey, and it
was the villainy of Dorsey and his confed-
crate scamps that made General Ben Har-
rison United States Senator. But for
forgery, perjury, bribery, ballot-box stuff
ing and similar crimes General Ben Har-
rison could no more have been United
States Senator than he could have bsen an
arch angel. 1t follows, that when General
Ben Harrison gets up to make partisan
political speech, he can no more follow the
straight line of fact than a blind man
could detect tine difference in colors. In
his Danville speech General Ben was more
than usually unfortunate. In no one
instance where he referred to.the Demo
cratic party was he truthful. A more lam
entable case of paltry Misrepresentation
was never exhibited. A man more thor
oughly debauched by preiudices never dis
cussed great public questions. Having
sought by the most shameful methods 20
re-elect himself to the United States Senate
and failed, he seems TO have added Inten-
sity to the fierceness of his ranco rous
spirit, and while in this mood said: "Sol-
diers, believe that the question whether
| your fame and honor shall be exalted
above the fame of those who fought
against the flag, whether the rewards of
your services shall be Just and liberal, and
the care of your disabled comrades IN
grudging and ample, depends upon the
election of Republican President in 1888. F"
Here we have an adroitly disguised SLAM
| der. here we have an appeal made to
soldiers which embodies deliberate false-
hood. Here we hear General Ben Hsrriso 4
saying that to vote for Grover Cleveland
the fame and honor of those who fought
against the flag is to be exalted above those
who fought for it, and that the rewards oil
the Union soldiers, If q Democrat is elected
President, are to be denied, and that their
rewards depend upon the election OF Re.
publican President. When General Har-
rison was expectorating that sort of Repub-
lican villifcation upon his Danville audi.
ence, he knew all the facts were against
him. He knew that if he were under oath
and in danger of the psnitentiary, he would
be required to TESTIFY that under
Democratic Administration tht
Union soldiers had been treated better
| thsn 6fiSSer any Republican President
General Ben Harrison knew that General
Grant, from 1870 to 1877, inclusive, a pc.
Rod OF eight years, approved ass privats
pension acts; President Hayes, from 1877
to 1881, inclusive, period OF four years,
approved SOS private pension acts; Presi-
dents Garfield and Arthur, from 1882 TO
| 1885, inclusive, period Of four years, ap.
proved 73G pension acts; while President
Cleveland, from 1886 to 1887, inclusive, a
period of only two years, approved 500
private pension acts. he knew that Mr..
| ~ASNN-e-HN oPBAONOo - pAANdhO pcu-
sion acts than Grant and Hayes approved
in twelve years. and 127 more than Gar
field and Arthur approved in four years.
General Harrison knew that President
Cleveland had appointed more
ex-Union soldiers to office than
any other President He knew that Pres
ident Cleveland approved the act OF March
10, 1886, which increased to SO per mouth
the pension of 70, $50 widows, minors and
dependent relatives of Union soldiers of
the late war. He approved the act of Au-
gust 4, 1886, which increased the pension
Of 10000 crippled and manned Union SOL
diers Of the late war. And during the fis-
cal year ending June so. 1887, 1l2 $50 GER
tificates of all classes were issued by the
Bureau of Pensions. of which 54,194 were
original, being 5017 in excess of the
highest number ever before issued In the
history Of the bureau. These facts were
all well known TO General Ben Harrison
when he made his Dsnville speech, and